Sindh Police Launches Citizen Monitoring App to Ensure Curfew

In its attempt to put reins on the spread of the novel coronavirus, Police Department’s Security and Emergency Service Division has launched an application dubbed “Citizen Monitoring App.”

The application was announced by Maqsood Ahmed Memon, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), in a statement on Monday. According to him, the application has been designed based on directives issued by Sindh IGP Mushtaq Ahmed Mahar and IGP Karachi Ghulam Nabi Memon.

The Citizen Monitoring App is designed to keep tabs on citizens roaming around the city. It will be available only to the officials and will be installed on mobile phones used by officers deputed at police checkpoints.

So far, around 500 officials have been given access to the application. Data of every citizen i.e., NIC number, phone number, location, and reason of commuting, will be entered at the checkpoint. According to DIG Memon, legal action will be initiated against citizens commuting more than twice a day.

In the statement, DIG detailed that till now the movement of more than 6000 citizens has been recorded out of which 918 were in East Range’s Korangi District, 1254 in District East, 550 in District Malir, 838 in West Range’s District West, 871 in South Range’s District South, 1044 in District Central, and 568 District City. Out of these, around 125 individuals were found violating the rules.

The application will be paramount in the effective execution of the lockdown.

In other news, the Sindh government also launched a mobile service to provide free ration to the needy.